Relations between vocabulary and executive functions in Spanish–English dual language learners

2017 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-14 ◽  
Author(s):  
VRINDA KALIA ◽  
M. PAULA DANERI ◽  
MAKEBA PARRAMORE WILBOURN
Keyword(s):  
Executive Function ◽  
Executive Functions ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Oral Language ◽  
Dual Language ◽  
Language Immersion ◽  
Dual Language Learners ◽  
Bilingual Children ◽  
Dual Language Immersion ◽  
English Only

The role of dual language exposure in children's cognitive development continues to be debated. The majority of the research with bilingual children in the US has been conducted with children becoming literate in onlyoneof their languages. Dual language learners who are becoming literate in both their languages are acutely understudied. We compared dual language learners (n = 61) in a Spanish–English dual language immersion program to monolingual English speaking children (n = 55) who were in a traditional English only school. Children (kindergarten to 3rdgrade) completed standardized vocabulary tasks and two measures of executive functions. Despite having significantly smaller English vocabularies, the dual language learners outperformed the monolingual children on the executive function measures. Implications for our understanding of the relations between oral language development and executive function in bilingual children are discussed.

The English referencing behaviors of first- and second-grade Spanish–English emergent bilinguals in oral narrative retells

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-19
Author(s):  
Audrey Lucero ◽  
Kevin Donley ◽  
Bobbie Bermúdez
Keyword(s):  
Oral Language ◽  
Dual Language ◽  
Language Immersion ◽  
Oral Narrative ◽  
Bilingual Children ◽  
Second Grade ◽  
Dual Language Immersion ◽  
English Only ◽  
Emergent Bilingual ◽  
Grade Level Differences

Abstract This study investigated differences in the English referencing behaviors in the context of oral narrative retell between typically developing first- and second-grade Spanish–English emergent bilingual children in dual language immersion and English-only instructional contexts (N = 105). Children heard and retold Mercer Mayer wordless picture books, and analyses were conducted to examine how they used nominals and pronominals to maintain and switch reference to potential thematic protagonists in the story. Multivariate analysis of variance showed significant grade-level differences in the proportion of pronominals used to switch and maintain reference to BOY/S (boy and dog or frog), as well as to switch to BOY. In contrast, instructional context differences were significant only for reference to the DOG or FROG. The finding that second graders in both dual language immersion and English-only programs continued to demonstrate an overreliance on pronominal forms to switch reference in a second language suggests that differences in literacy and oral language development may extend beyond the grades that we investigated. It is therefore important to continue investigating the referencing behaviors of emergent bilingual children throughout the elementary years of schooling.

Examining the oral language competency of children from Korean immigrant families in English-only and dual language immersion schools

2016 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 32-51 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jane Younga Choi ◽  
Jin Sook Lee ◽  
Janet S Oh
Keyword(s):  
Extracurricular Activities ◽  
Oral Language ◽  
Dual Language ◽  
Developmental Stages ◽  
Immigrant Families ◽  
The United States ◽  
Language Immersion ◽  
Dual Language Immersion ◽  
English Only ◽  
At Home

In this study, we examined the bilingual language development among Korean American first-graders in two southern California cities and explored the opportunities for language use available to them in various spaces: at school (one dual language immersion school and one traditional English-only public school), at home, and in the community. Data collected over 15 months included three oral language proficiency assessments in Korean and English; interviews with parents and children; and fieldnotes based on observations at home, at school, and during extracurricular activities. All of the children, regardless of school setting, showed increases in English proficiency; however, their Korean development varied. We found that English opportunities were widely accessible for all of the participants; however, opportunities to use Korean were starkly different between the two cities. The families who resided in communities with few Korean resources needed more financial and temporal resources to attain regular exposure to Korean, which suggests that supporting the development of a less-commonly spoken heritage language in the United States (e.g. Korean) may not be accessible to all immigrant families. Finally, we found that for children in the developmental stages of bilingualism, purposeful and deliberate instruction (particularly in vocabulary and grammar) and diverse opportunities to practice both languages are continuously needed.

The Effects of Transitional Bilingual Education vs. Dual Language Immersion on English Language Learners' Reading Assessment Scores

2018 ◽  
pp. 132-145
Author(s):  
Vanessa Colón ◽  
Susan Szabo ◽  
Jacqueline Riley
Keyword(s):  
English Language Learners ◽  
Bilingual Education ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Dual Language ◽  
English Language ◽  
Reading Assessment ◽  
Language Immersion ◽  
Transitional Bilingual ◽  
Dual Language Immersion ◽  
Transitional Bilingual Education

This action research study was completed in a North Texas school district where English language learners comprised 52% of the K-12 student population during the 2015-2016 academic school year. Data from a campus which used a two-way dual language immersion (DLI) program and another campus which used a transitional bilingual education (TBE) program were evaluated. The study analyzed the district's third to fifth grade reading assessment results of 128 students from the DLI campus and 223 from the TBE campus. Researchers compared the scores of students in each program to determine if one bilingual model produced higher scores than another. The results showed that there were greater gains for ELLs in the TBE program at all grade levels (third to fifth). Although the TBE program resulted in higher student scores, limitations make it unclear to what degree the program impacted students' achievement.

The Efficacy of a Vocabulary Intervention for Dual-Language Learners With Language Impairment

2013 ◽  
Vol 56 (2) ◽  
pp. 748-765 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Adelaida Restrepo ◽  
Gareth P. Morgan ◽  
Marilyn S. Thompson
Keyword(s):  
Language Learners ◽  
Growth Rates ◽  
Language Impairment ◽  
Dual Language ◽  
Dialogic Reading ◽  
Dual Language Learners ◽  
Mathematics Intervention ◽  
Vocabulary Intervention ◽  
English Only ◽  
Hands On

Purpose In this study, the authors evaluated the efficacy of a Spanish–English versus English-only vocabulary intervention for dual-language learners (DLLs) with language impairment compared to mathematics intervention groups and typically developing controls with no intervention. Further, in this study the authors also examined whether the language of instruction affected English, Spanish, and conceptual vocabulary differentially. Method The authors randomly assigned 202 preschool DLLs with language impairment to 1 of 4 conditions: bilingual vocabulary, English-only vocabulary, bilingual mathematics, or English-only mathematics. Fifty-four DLLs with typical development received no intervention. The vocabulary intervention consisted of a 12-week small-group dialogic reading and hands-on vocabulary instruction of 45 words. Postintervention group differences and linear growth rates were examined in conceptual, English, and Spanish receptive and expressive vocabulary for the 45 treatment words. Results Results indicate that the bilingual vocabulary intervention facilitated receptive and expressive Spanish and conceptual vocabulary gains in DLLs with language impairment compared with the English vocabulary intervention, mathematics intervention, and no-intervention groups. The English-only vocabulary intervention differed significantly from the mathematics condition and no-intervention groups on all measures but did not differ from the bilingual vocabulary intervention. Vocabulary growth rates postintervention slowed considerably. Results support the idea that bilingual interventions support native- and second-language vocabulary development. Conclusion English-only intervention supports only English. Use of repeated dialogic reading and hands-on activities facilitates vocabulary acquisition.

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